Tag: CM Punk

If there’s one principal to live by when it comes to combat sports it’s this: you need to be all in or not all. Phil “CM Punk” Brooks had his first and possibly last fight at UFC 203 this past weekend. Now, before you start thinking that this will be a roast of CM Punk, let me save you the time and tell you that you’re dead wrong. If anything CM Punk should be commended for putting everything on the line. In fact, he took MMA very seriously and was all in.

It’s been on my mind ever since this fight has been announced. For the most part fans and pundits alike have been saying that Phillip “CM Punk” Brooks probably won’t stand a chance at victory at UFC 203. Though Mickey Gall may not exactly be UFC caliber at this point of his career, you have to think that the guy is talented enough to get past an aging former pro wrestling superstar like CM Punk. The funny thing is the game that they’re playing isn’t so easy to suss out as a game of basketball or even boxing. In MMA any damn thing can happen. So what if Mr. Brooks actually wins?

Questionable to say the least… Whether you love him or hate him CM Punk is a thing. After this saturday (9/10/16), the straight edge former WWE champion will either be in the win or loss column with his UFC debut at UFC 203. The Chicago native will dawn his signature Pepsi tattoo against fellow [...]

Had we the wherewithal to include a “Greatest Hype *De*-flation” category in this year’s Potato Awards, it would’ve been hard not to bestow the (dis)honor to WWE superstar-cum-MMA fighter Phil Brooks aka CM Punk.

After being signed by the UFC just over a year ago, Brooks has all but dropped off the face of the earth thanks to an ill-timed shoulder injury which delayed his promotional debut indefinitely. Seriously, we haven’t heard a word from the guy, which, as smart as that probably is from his perspective, has all but killed the interest level in a fighter who had relatively little to offer MMA fans to begin with (other than, you know, those massive viewership numbers we care so much about).

Recently, however, it was revealed that Brooks’ debut opponent would be discovered via Dana White’s web series, Looking For a Fight, which premieres on Youtube next week. It was easily one of the more shameful promotional moves done by the UFC in recent memory — right up there with bringing in Conor McGregor to save The Ultimate Fighter – but one that seems to have ultimately worked, as a potential opponent for Punk’s debut has now made himself known.

With Ronda Rousey’s shocking loss still in the rearview mirror and the biggest featherweight fight of all time on the horizon, it seems that the MMA world has all but forgotten about CM Punk.

It has been almost a year to the date since Punk (aka Phil Brooks) was signed by the UFC to fill the void left behind by Brock Lesnar, and all seemed to be going smoothly with his preparation until he pulled the most MMA thing of them all and got himself injured. But now, it looks like a definitive timetable has been set for Punk’s return, as well as the opponent he will be making his MMA debut against. Sort of.

Fresh off the most embarrassing UFC Q&A ever involving CM Punk earlier this month in Las Vegas, NV., at UFC 182, the UFC thought it would be a great idea to call upon its featherweight kingpin, Jose Aldo, to answer some hard-hitting questions in Boston a day before UFC Fight Night 59 (which takes place tonight, if you haven’t heard already).

It was sort of like a fair exchange, seeing how tonight’s headliner, Conor McGregor, goofed around with the Brazilian fans at his Q&A during UFC 179 weekend in Brazil, teasing the country and calling out some “mamacitas.”

If you predicted this installment was going to be as cringeworthy as the last few, then you deserve the Medal of Honor. Then again, would you rather watch these types of train wrecks, or a respectful and intelligent session with the likes of Cain Velasquez (UFC 180) or T.J. Dillashaw (UFC 181)?

With yet another year coming to an end, CagePotato.com is reviving anoldholidaytradition: MMA predictions for the upcoming year that are so wild and outrageous that some of them might actually come to fruition. If you’re looking to read statements along the lines of “JOSE ALDO REMAINS DOMINANT AT FEATHERWEIGHT YOU GUYZZZ,” kindly move along; there are plenty of other two-bit MMA writers “brave” enough to state such obvious things for you. Still here? Then let’s grab some eggnog and see what 2015 has in store for us.

Look, the last thing that I want to do is get all high and mighty about the UFC’s decision to sign CM Punk; the UFC is a sports entertainment company, so why wouldn’t they sign the hottest free agent in sports entertainment? But at the same time, Punk’s qualifications to fight in the major leagues are non-existent. We’re dealing with a guy who, up to this point, has dabbled in jiu-jitsu and sparred a few times. Forget a UFC-caliber fighter — most people can’t even beat an experienced amateur fighter after less than a year of serious training. So let’s not even joke about whether or not CM Punk’s first UFC opponent will have his own Wikipedia page, because he obviously won’t. If the UFC expects any sane athletic commission to sanction a bout featuring Punk, they’re going to have to find somebody so obscure that not even the folks at Sherdog will know who he is.

2. A Member of the Official UFC Rankings Committee Is Accused of Partaking in a “Pay for Rankings” Scandal.

Serious question: Are you guys tired of hearing about CM Punk already? The former WWE superstar (known to his momma as Phil Brooks) has a long road of training ahead of him before he makes his UFC debut sometime next year, but he’s been keeping his name in the streets with some media appearances here and there. Yesterday, he visited the ESPN studios to cut promos — or “interviews,” whatever — for SportsCenter and MMA Live. Some notable quotes from the SC spot…

- “Am I ready [to fight] today? I mean, probably not, but I’d fight anybody right now. Whether that’s a smart decision or not remains to be seen…I used to not be able to walk or swim, and I’m not saying it’s going to be easy, but I’m gonna get there, and I’m excited to climb that mountain.”

- “I’m comfortable on the ground. Whether I get taken down and I’m on my back, I’m confident in my ability to stand back up, I’m confident in my jiu-jitsu, and it’s only gonna get better from now until the day I fight.”

- In response to Matt Brown’s recent criticism of his UFC signing: “There’s probably a lot of fighters that are…they’re just upset. And I can understand that, and more power to you, I understand your point of view. My job is to do what’s good for me and my family, and along the way if I change your mind, Matt Brown, awesome.”

- On Vince McMahon and Dana White: “They’re both driven, they’re both set in their ways, they both have an idea of what is best for their company, and everything like that, and I think that’s how they’re the same. How they’re different, I think, is the difference in the generation. Vince is very old-school, Dana is more open-minded, there’s more of a warmth on the UFC side that I’m experiencing. And Dana’s more open-minded, obviously — he hired me.”

- “Listen, there’s always people throughout my entire life who have told me that I can’t do something. Nobody ever thought I would make it to the WWE, nobody ever thought I’d be the champion. And nobody ever thought I’d be in the UFC…and I very much use the negativity that comes my way to fuel me, to prove people wrong.”

When CM Punk signed with the UFC last night MMA fans, pundits and every pseudo-journalist in between lost their minds either with glee, bemusement, or disgust.

There’s not necessarily one “right” way to look at the issue of the UFC signing CM Punk (whose real name is Phil Brooks). Is he killing MMA’s credibility? Yes. Is he going to be a big draw and help the UFC out of a rut? Yes.

CM Punk is killing the UFC’s credibility

Proponents of this theory are, well, kind of accurate. During the Reebok sponsorship press conference last week, the UFC boasted about the Reebok deal bringing them in line with the NFL and other major sports organizations. While the realities of that statement are dubious, it’s clear the UFC wanted viewers to leave with that “fact” as a key takeaway.

But would an NFL team sign CM Punk as a QB just because he might draw ratings and sell tickets? Hell, NFL teams wouldn’t even sign perennial attention-getter Tim Tebow who’s an actual football player. And as Bleacher Report‘s Jonathan Snowden pointed out, even Michael Jordan had to start in the minor leagues when he wanted to play baseball.

The NFL, NBA, or any other big league would never sign a 36-year-old with zero sports background just for attention and a bit of quick cash. These organizations care about legitimacy or at least the illusion of legitimacy. They want to convey class and prestige. They’re athletic contests, not Dancing with the Stars.

By signing CM Punk, the UFC admitted they are an entertainment company first and a sport second. While this has arguably been true since day one, they’ve never gone out of their way to make it so apparent before.

This isn’t the usual page-view mongering scheme MMA sites run during lulls just to drum up traffic. This is legit. We will be seeing CM Punk (whose real name is Phil Brooks) in the Octagon in the future.

Punk was present at UFC 181 to make the announcement in an interview with Joe Rogan. He said he’d fight at middleweight or welterweight, though he didn’t reveal what camp he’d train out of. He currently trains with Rener and Ryon Gracie. He will make his Octagon debut in 2015.